These days, the clothing resale industry is booming, and there are so many ways to make money selling your clothing.
Apps like Poshmark and marketplaces like eBay are the perfect example. Both platforms make it easy to list your clothing for sale and find online buyers.
But if you're serious about making money online by selling clothing, it's important to pick the right platform to power your resale side hustle.
This is because things like seller fees, ease-of-use, and shipping policies can make a massive difference for your profit margin.
So, if you're trying to decide between selling on Poshmark or eBay, you're in luck!
In our Poshmark vs eBay breakdown, we're covering everything you need to know about these two selling platforms so you can make the right decision for your business.
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About Poshmark
It’s pretty much impossible not to have heard of Poshmark since it’s arguably the largest clothing and accessory resale platform that exists today.
Poshmark has over 80 million users, made up of buyers and sellers curating their closets with vintage finds and brand name items.
It’s success is primarily due to its social media like interface, which lets users follow and like items from others on the platform that have similar style, taste, and sizing as them.
Popular categories you can sell on Poshmark include:
- Apparel
- Handbags
- Jewelry
- Shoes
Poshmark also lets you sell home decor, items for kitchen and bath, barware, holiday decor, office, beauty and wellness, although clothing and accessories is where the platform shines.
About eBay
eBay is one of the original resale marketplaces out there and began in 1995.
It is reported that eBay has 159 million active buyers on its site and over 400 thousand monthly downloads of their app on both Google Play and the Apple App Store.
This means eBay is much larger than Poshmark in terms of overall market and audience size.
Additionally, eBay is more global than Poshmark, and lets sellers sell both domestically and internationally.
Another difference between eBay and Poshmark is eBay's auction feature. This feature lets sellers set a time limit on sales and favours the highest bidder– so you’re guaranteed to get the best price.
People sell clothing and accessories on eBay just like Poshmark. But other popular categories include:
- Collectibles like coins, Pokemon cards, and antiques
- Cosmetics
- Electronics
- Home goods
- Office supplies
- Pet products
- Toys
- Video games
The bottom line is eBay is a more diverse and global market than Poshmark, but this has pros and cons if you want to sell clothing and accessories online!
Poshmark vs eBay – The Features
If you're deciding between Poshmark or eBay, you need to know all of the selling features so you can pick the platform that's right for your business.
So, this eBay vs Poshmark guide is covering:
- Listing creation
- Seller fees
- Shipping
- Seller and buyer protection
- How sellers get paid
- Customer and seller support
Let's get to it!
1. Creating Listings
Speed and ease of listing is an important thing to consider when choosing your platform since you’ll be doing lots of it when you start your business.
Here’s how it works on eBay vs Poshmark.
Poshmark Listings
Listing on Poshmark requires the original MSRP of the item you're listing, so buyers know right away how much money they’re saving.
Don’t sweat if you don’t know the original price, just give it your best guess or do a bit of online research to find the price.
Other information you add to your listing includes:
- Title
- Description
- Category
- Size
- Listing Price
Poshmark also lets you add up to 16 photos, so it's a good idea to add numerous high-quality photos that show the product you're selling from different angles or even being worn.
Don’t be afraid to include any other information you think might be relevant, like material, colours, and condition– the more you tell the buyer, the more likely they are to trust the sale.
eBay Listings
eBay is slightly more demanding than Poshmark in terms of creating listings since it also requires dimensions and weight of what you're selling.
Otherwise, you can expect to enter the same photos and details as you would on Poshmark.
eBay lets you add up to 12 photos per listing, which is fewer than Poshmark but still enough to help buyers make a decision.
Winner: Poshmark listing is slightly easier than eBay but this difference is small.
2. Seller Fees
Unfortunately, selling on resale platforms isn’t free, so it’s important to consider where they’re taking their money and how it will affect your profits.
Let’s get into Poshmark fees vs eBay!
Poshmark Seller Fees
On Poshmark, listing is completely free so you can curate your closet with as many items as you like.
That being said, Poshmark charges seller fees depending on the value of the sale and uses this fee structure:
- Sales Under $15: Pay a flat-rate fee of $2.95 per sale.
- Sales Over $15: Pay a 20% commission.
This means that if you sell something for $100, Poshmark takes a whole $20 from your profits.
The higher commission is primarily due to the fact that designer and brand name items are popular on Poshmark, so the goal is that the things you're selling generally have a higher price tag.
Overall, Poshmark has pretty steep fees, even when you compare it to other popular resale platforms like Mercari and apps like Depop.
eBay Seller Fees
eBay members get 250 free listings per month. If you exceed this, it costs an additional $0.35 per listing.
Your 250 free listings should be enough to start your clothing resale side hustle to see how viable it is, and only larger stores will surpass the 200 limit.
Just note that if your listing doesn't sell, the listing fee is non-refundable and you pay every time you re-list an item on the site.
In terms of eBay seller fees, the final value fee for most categories on eBay is 12.55% of the sale price plus $0.30 per order.
This means eBay usually has lower fees than Poshmark regardless of how expensive the item you're selling is, which is one main advantage of eBay.
You can also pay for a Basic or Premium eBay store subscription to get perks like:
- More free monthly listings
- Free auction listings
- Lower final value fees
- $25 to $50 in free shipping supplies per quarter
The Basic plan costs $21.95 per month and the Premium plan costs $59.95 per month.
Beginner sellers won't need a plan, but if your resale business scales, eBay becomes even cheaper to sell on than Poshmark because of lower seller fees.
Winner: eBay seller fees are lower than Poshmark seller fees, and eBay also lets you upgrade your store to pay even less in final sale fees.
3. Shipping Costs
Shipping costs can and will eat away at your profits if you’re not careful, and some platforms make it easier to ship than others.
Let's see if Poshmark or eBay is better for shipping costs and the overall process.
Poshmark Shipping
Poshmark automatically charges buyers $7.45 for flat-rate shipping, which takes a massive burden off your shoulders as a seller.
The only downside to this is that buyers may think twice about buying lower priced items, especially if it’s close to the cost of shipping.
You can offer discounted or free shipping on your listings, and this is a good way to make your listings stand out and to potentially get more sales.
However, if you offer free or discount shipping, factor this extra cost into your profit margin so you know how much you're making!
eBay Shipping
Shipping with eBay is more complicated than Poshmark because you have more options and choosing the right one can make a massive difference for your margins.
Doing so means taking into consideration:
- Carriers
- Shipping weights
- Package sizes
- Appropriate classes
You also have to be very careful not to make the wrong choice, since eBay charges you directly for any surcharges incurred during shipping.
You can either have a set shipping rate for your items, or choose to adjust it based on the location of the buyer.
Setting a rate based on buyer location can save money for them at checkout and make the purchase more enticing to certain locations, so keep this in mind.
Winner: Poshmarks shipping process is much easier, but if you’re up for the challenge, eBay let’s you find savings on shipping costs.
4. Seller & Buyer Protection
When you’re running any kind of business, things are bound to go wrong.
This is especially true for online clothing resale since stuff can get lost in the mail or buyers can complain for whatever reason.
So, when choosing between selling clothes on Poshmark or eBay, you need to have the right seller protections in place so it doesn’t hurt your profits or reputation as a seller.
Let’s look at the protection policies you’ll have if you sell on Poshmark or eBay.
Poshmark Seller & Buyer Protection
Poshmark’s prepaid shipping labels also protect your shipments against loss or damage.
Furthermore, Poshmark holds your funds for a maximum of three days if the buyer doesn't accept the shipment on the app beforehand.
Buyers that want to return something also have to provide a reason and photo evidence that supports it. Once the request is approved, you have no choice but to accept the return and the buyer gets refunded in full.
This is fairly standard for all resale platforms, and companies usually side with the buyer if there's a dispute and evidence backing up a claim.
Now, Poshmark isn't immune to buyer return scams where the buyer purposely damages the item in order to request a return. Unfortunately, the platform is known for siding with the buyer in these scenarios.
However, this is far from the norm, and it's just a few bad buyers that might hurt your profit margins on rare occasions.
Plus, you can protect yourself as a seller by taking photos of products you're shipping right before they ship, as well as the package condition, so you have evidence of what you sent.
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eBay Seller & Buyer Protection
eBay holds their sellers to very high standards and uses a strict review system to enforce this.
Cancelled orders, late shipments, and bad buyer reviews cause your eBay account to get “defects,” which makes you much less appealing to potential buyers.
You're also subject to performance reviews ever 1-12 months, during which time eBay examines the quality of your listings and transactions.
However, the returns system is much better with eBay vs Poshmark, since it’s up to you to accept the return as long as the item hasn’t been lost or damaged in transit.
However, PayPal users are generally forced to accept returns, so if your buyer purchases something from your eBay store with PayPal, you have less protection as a seller.
But, another massive benefit of eBay is that if you don’t receive payment for an item you’ve shipped and it’s clear there was no wrongdoing on your part, the platform's “Money Back Guarantee” ensures you still get paid.
Winner: eBay is more strict on sellers, but it also has more protections in place against buyer scams. Poshmark is less strict, but they usually side with buyers in disputes or return claims.
5. How Sellers Get Paid
How do you get paid when selling on Poshmark or eBay?
This is another factor you should consider with any resale platform, but thankfully, both Poshmark and eBay let sellers get paid quickly.
Poshmark Payments
When you make a sale, Poshmark adds the funds to your account within three days of the buyer receiving their goods.
You can then redeem your balance online or through the Poshmark app. Poshmark deposits funds directly into your bank, which takes 2-3 business days.
You can also redeem your Poshmark earnings via check.
eBay Payments
With eBay, you can choose either daily or weekly payouts for your profits.
After you make a sale, it takes about one business day for eBay to confirm the funds and another two business days for them to become redeemable on your account.
Here's how the two payment structures work:
- Daily Payouts: Funds take another one to three business days to become available in your checking account.
- Weekly Payouts: eBay sends out payments every Tuesday for the prior Monday-Sunday period.
Winner: eBay offers daily payout and starts processing your funds the minute the order is accepted, rather than after the order has been delivered like Poshmark.
6. Customer & Seller Support
One final factor to consider when deciding between selling on eBay or Poshmark is customer and seller support.
You want both platforms to offer support for buyers in case they have questions or concerns.
And, of course, you also want to get assistance as a seller if you run into problems.
Poshmark Support
Poshmark has various support options, including:
- Support center and FAQ
- Copyright issue help
- Email support
You can sometimes ping Poshmark on social media and also get help if you run into problems.
eBay Support
eBay has several customer support options like Poshmark, including:
- A support center and FAQ
- The eBay community forums
- An automated assistant to help answer your questions
- Live chat with a customer support agent
Winner: eBay has more customer support options and the community is also quite active and helpful if you have seller questions.
What Other Sellers Say About Poshmark & eBay
One of the best ways to decide on the right selling platform is to see what actual sellers are saying about their experiences.
In one Reddit thread, numerous online clothing sellers shared their thoughts on if Poshmark is better than eBay or not:
- mortified_observer says: “I always sell my items on ebay faster. Poshmark is more of a social platform and you only get seen if you're a big seller with lots of items in your closet and sharing them a lot.”
- 7Betafish says: “Honestly I'd try Mercari before I'd try Poshmark–i feel like buyers are more serious (instead of just browsing), Mercari only takes 10% to Poshmark's 20% and yes, shipping is much more flexible and cheaper on Mercari.”
- Purplefox71 says: “It really depends on what you are selling. eBay is the master of penny-pinching, while their commission doesn't look too bad at first sight, they make sellers pay for many different things. As for sale-through, I have 2500 items listed on eBay and only 350 on Poshmark, I have much higher sale-through on Posh than on eBay and I never had one return yet out of the 250 items I sold on Posh. One more thing, the customer service on Posh is a dream compared to eBay.”
- 4sarad says: “I think it's wild how different our experiences all are! I crosslist everything… Poshmark, Mercari, eBay, and Tradesy. I've made thousands of sales on PM, a couple hundred on Mercari (but more makeup than clothes), like 12 sales on eBay, and 2 things on Tradesy.”
From what buyers are saying, it seems like eBay gets you faster sales than Poshmark but you really have to be careful with fees.
And, as some sellers mention, cross listing your items and trying out numerous resale platforms is best for reaching as many customers as possible.
Extra Reading – Poshmark vs Mercari – What's Best For Sellers?
Pros & Cons For Sellers
Whether you decide to sell on Poshmark or eBay, there are some notable pros and cons of each platform which might sway where you decide to start up your resale business.
Poshmark Pros
- Easy Shipping: Poshmark takes the stress away from sellers by offering flat-rate shipping that is protected against loss or damage.
- Large Audience: There are millions of potential buyers on the platform and Poshmark makes it easy to connect with likeminded people who are likely to buy your items.
- Designer & Brand Names: If your inventory is primarily high-ticket, brand-name pieces, you won't have problems making sales on Poshmark since it favours these items.
Poshmark Cons
- Seller Fees: Poshmark takes 20% of every sale over $20, which is high in comparison to eBay and other resale platforms.
- Rewards Active Sellers: In order to grow your following on Poshmark, it’s important that you post frequently and actively engage with others on the platform which can be very time consuming.
- Saturated Market: Yes, there are millions of buyers on the platform but there are also many sellers. It’s important to set yourself apart in terms of what items you offer and the quality of service you offer buyers.
eBay Pros
- Global Audience: – eBay has a larger audience than Poshmark and is also more of an international marketplace. The more people you can sell to, the higher the likelihood of you making a sale!
- Low-Commitment: eBay has promotional features that will take away a lot of the grunt work that is involved on Poshmark. You can list your items and forget about them until you make a sale!
- Lower Fees: eBay is more affordable for sellers than Poshmark, and you can also upgrade your store as you make more sales to decrease fees.
- Auction Feature: If you want to guarantee you’re getting the highest price possible for your item, auctioning it off on eBay is the best way to do that.
eBay Cons
- Lots of Sellers: Just like Poshmark, you’ve got a lot of competition on eBay. If you’re not selling antiques or collectibles, it can be hard to set yourself apart from other sellers.
- Shipping Complexities: The shipping process is more complex on eBay than Poshmark since there are so many factors that can affect the cost.
- Complicated Fees: While eBay has lower seller fees than Poshmark, it also charge listing fees once you pass your monthly allowance. If this applies to you, keep track of your expenses and make sure it’s still worth it for you.
Verdict: Should You Sell On Poshmark Or eBay?
As always, there is no simple answer here.
Where you sell will depend on what you’re selling and who you’re selling to, but here's how you can decide on the right platform.
Sell On Poshmark If…
If you're in the market for fashion, Poshmark is probably your best bet. Most people download the app with the intentions of buying and selling clothing, shoes, and other accessories.
While they may venture into other categories, buyers are mostly interested in shopping the latest trends and vintage finds.
Poshmark is also better than eBay if you're willing to be active to promote your listings and gain followers on the platform.
Sell On eBay If…
If you’re selling antiques, collectibles, or really any items you find around the home, eBay makes more sense than Poshmark.
eBay is also better than Poshmark if you're selling non-designer or no-name brand clothing since those sorts of products aren't popular on Poshmark.
Plus, with eBay you have access to international buyers, so the chance of making a sale is much higher.
Sell On Both Marketplaces If…
As many sellers mention, selling on multiple platforms at once is an effective way to get more sales.
So, don't be afraid to cross-list on eBay and Poshmark and then focus your energy on the platform where you’re having the most success.
Regardless of the platform you choose, hopefully you have all the insight you need to jump right in and get started with your new side-hustle!
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, our Poshmark vs eBay guide helps you decide on the right marketplace for your resale side hustle.
Thanks to the Internet, it's never been easier to flip your money by buying and reselling goods online.
And, as mentioned, you can always try selling on eBay and Poshmark to see which platform you prefer!
